INNOVATION AT EMECO
In 2006, Coca-Cola approached Emeco to solve an environmental problem — taking recycled Coca-Cola
bottles out of landfill and “upcycling” them into an iconic structural item, made to last. Emeco is
famous for making lifetime-guaranteed chairs out of 80% recycled aluminum, and part of the Emeco
mission is to make consumer waste into lasting products.
The challenge with the 111 Navy Chair was to take soft recycled PET plastic, originally intended for
short-lived fabric and textiles, and build a tough, one-piece, scratch-resistant chair for heavy-duty use.
Emeco invested four years of research and testing to create the formula for the 111 Navy Chair.
To make the 111 Navy Chair, bottles are sorted, ground, and sent through several washes which transform
them into rinse flakes. The flakes then undergo a patented process where the surface of the flake is
“roasted” to remove any volatile organic content. Outer layers are etched to remove impurities, then
the flakes are combined with glass fiber and non-toxic color pigment. Each 111 Navy chair is made of
65% rPET plastic and 35% glass fiber pellets, all melted down and injected into a mold. Once the mold
is loaded, the chair is formed, hollowed out via gas injection, tempered and cooled. The entire process
takes approximately three minutes and takes 111 recycled bottles out of landfill each time.